A bit of a light week this week since one big shipment has yet to arrive, but there’s still plenty of great slabs in and even more great restocks. Firstly, the best of Os Mutantes is THE BEST, wild tropical psychedelic from Brazil. And a whole lot of live action this week! A killer triple live Prince concert. King Gizzard Live at Levitation. and the massive Nirvana Nevermind box with 7 bonus live LPs and a book. Two more live Neil Young albums. And Charles Tolliver’s Strata East Live in Tokyo LP.
Another small batch of used gems up on the site as well today…
Current operations…..
– in-store shopping/pick ups – 11 – 6 pm Monday – Friday, 11 am – 5 pm Saturday
(if you don’t want to come into the store for a pick up, call and/or use the back door)
– We will be wearing masks, if you want to, great! If not, that’s also fine, but please be respectful of other people’s space and decisions.
– Sanitize your hands (we’ll have some)
…..picks of the week…..
Os Mutantes: World Psychedelic Classics 1: Everything is Possible (Luaka Bop) LP
The reason that you even know Os Mutantes is because of this album. Back in 1999 when David Byrne originally compiled this retrospective – making it the first in our critically acclaimed psychedelic series – the idea of doing a psychedelic album from outside the U.S. or Europe was a total surprise. And, most important, it introduced Mutantes to the world. Twenty years later, the mutants are back with their electric guitars, cans of bug spray, and deviant, freaky psychedelia – with a limited edition gatefold colored vinyl in, what else, Mutant Orange.
File Under: Psych, Brazil, Kris’s Picks
Buy Here
Prince & The Revolution: Live (Legacy) Box
James Brown had the Apollo. Jimi Hendrix had Monterey Pop. And Prince had Syracuse, New York’s Carrier Dome – the Purple Rain Tour performance that was beamed to millions live via satellite and captured for posterity in the Grammy Award-nominated concert film Prince and The Revolution Live, and has since gone down in history as one of the most iconic live recordings in pop and rock history. For the first time, this powerful performance by Prince and The Revolution has been entirely remixed from the original 2″ multitrack master reels by engineer Chris James and remastered by Bernie Grundman. The new version of Prince and The Revolution Live is available here as a vinyl 3LP-set complete with a 24-page book boasting never-before-seen photos of the Purple Rain Tour and new liner notes.
File Under: Pop, Funk, Soul, Ian’s Picks
Buy Here
…..new arrivals…..
Johnny Cash: With His Hot and Blue Guitar (ORG) LP
With His Hot and Blue Guitar was the first-ever Sun Records album to be released on the label in October 1957. It included one side of Johnny Cash’s debut hit single, “Cry! Cry! Cry!,” the classic follow-up “Folsom Prison Blues” and the iconic “I Walk the Line” which reached No. 1 in the US country charts and crossed over to the pop charts peaking at No. 17.
File Under: Country
Buy Here
Death Grips: Money Store (Epic) LP
RSD Essentials black & white split wax! Death Grips are angry. It’s unclear why. But on their major-label debut, the Sacramento noise group’s monomaniacal desire to rain down fiery destruction on the powers-that-be is crystal-clear, even if nothing else is on The Money Store, even if nothing else– where the hell this album came from; who plays which instrument; what the lead singer is yelling about; and what on earth this band of insurgents is doing signing an Epic Records contract with L.A. Reid– makes much sense at all. – Pitchfork 8.7
File Under: Hip Hop
Buy Here
Horsegirl: Versions of Modern Performance (Matador) LP
Horsegirl are best friends. You don’t have to talk to the trio for more than five minutes to feel the warmth and strength of their bond, which crackles through every second of their debut full-length, Versions of Modern Performance. Penelope Lowenstein (guitar, vocals), Nora Cheng (guitar, vocals), and Gigi Reece (drums) do everything collectively, from songwriting to trading vocal duties and swapping instruments to sound and visual art design. “We made [this album] knowing so fully what we were trying to do,” the band says. “We would never pursue something if one person wasn’t feeling good about it. But also, if someone thought something was good, chances are we all thought it was good.” Versions of Modern Performance was recorded with John Agnello (Kurt Vile, The Breeders, Dinosaur Jr.) at Electrical Audio. “It’s our debut bare-bones album in a Chicago institution with a producer who we feel like really respected what we were trying to do,” the band says. Horsegirl expertly play with texture, shape, and shade across the record, showcasing their fondness for improvisation and experimentation. Opener “Anti-glory” is elastic and bright post-punk, while the guitars in instrumental interlude “Bog Bog 1” smear across the song’s canvas like watercolors. “Dirtbag Transformation (Still Dirty)” and “World of Pots and Pans” have rough, blown-out pop charm. “The Fall of Horsegirl” is all sharp edges and dark corners.
File Under: Indie Rock
Buy Here
Jazzanova: Strata Records: The Sound of Detroit (BBE) LP
How does the Berlin-based production collective Jazzanova find itself reimagining songs from the iconic, Detroit record label Strata? “I couldn’t think of a more perfect band to do this work,” DJ Amir says about Jazzanova, a combination of DJs, record collectors and musicians, “because they brought passion and love to the project, because they know the music and love the music. And on top of that, they know how to play.” This unlikely, yet ideal pairing is the result of years of work and passion from Amir Abdullah, the crate-digging, DJ and label- head for 180-Proof Records which in 2011 began reissuing the groundbreaking Strata Records back catalog and unreleased gems from the vaults. On Strata Records – The Sound of Detroit – Reimagined by Jazzanova, DJ Amir and Jazzanova breathe new life into eleven hand-picked tracks from the Strata catalog for fans of the label’s historic recordings and new ears alike. Strata Records rose from the ashes of Detroit’s tumultuous 1960s decline. Motor City famously burned in 1967 and then again in 1968, leading to mass exodus of those who could afford to relocate out of the city. “The people of Detroit don’t call it the riot,” Barbara Cox, the widow of label-founder Kenny Cox says, “they call it the insurrection.” From the ashes of the insurrection, Kenny Cox founded Strata as a community organization that initially ran food drives and jazz programs.
File Under: Jazz
Buy Here
The Kills: No Wow (Tchad Blake Mix) (Domino) LP
Having taken some time out after the busy schedule surrounding their 2003 debut album Keep On Your Mean Side, The Kills returned with No Wow in 2005, a dark and brooding musical examination of the period in which New York’s punk scene became its dance scene. This 2022 reissue features new mixes of the original album by Tchad Blake (Arctic Monkeys, The Black K
eys, Sheryl Crow).
File Under: Rock
Buy Here
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: Live at Levitation (Reverberation Appreciation Society) LP
The Reverberation Appreciation Society deliver the fourth installment in their Live at Levitation series with the one and only King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard! This landmark double LP features the band’s 2014 and 2016 shows pressed up on beautiful colored wax! This release follows Live at Levitation releases from Kikagaku Moyo, The Black Angels and Primal Scream. The 2014 show, presented in full on the first LP, is particularly historic. This show happened to be the bands first ever performance in North America! “We’ve never played in America before” chimes Stu right before launching into their yet to be released I’m In Your Mind Fuzz suite on side A…right after this tour the band would spend the summer in Brooklyn, NY recording I’m In Your Mind Fuzz and Quarters. These 2014 live versions feature early versions and a unique look into the creative process of a band that was about to explode onto the world scene. LP2 features the bands triumphant return to Levitation in 2016 and they are firing on all cylinders and celebrating the release of their Nonagon Infinity LP. While the festival was canceled due to severe weather, this recording is one of two shows Gizz played at Barracuda in downtown Austin that weekend and Reverberation was set up to capture it in all its glory. Audio for both shows was recorded by Craig Lawrence, and then mixed by Gizz mastermind Stu Mackenzie at the band’s studio in Melbourne Australia and mastered specially for vinyl. It doesn’t get any better that this!
File Under: Psych
Buy Here
Lettuce: Unify (Round Hill) LP
Unify serves as the eighth studio album from six-piece Lettuce and the third consecutive record made at Denver’s Colorado Sound Studios, completing a loose trilogy starting with 2019’s Grammy-nominated Elevate, and continuing with 2020’s Resonate. Fans can expect the same tight, wildly-funky instrumentals Lettuce has always been known for, but in the tightest form they’ve ever taken. And this time around, the guys have gotten the stamp of approval from one of the genre’s most legendary icons, Mr. Bootsy Collins, himself, who can be heard singing on the track “Keep That Funk Alive.” A totally collaborative effort, there are exciting cuts full of brilliant lyrics and arrangements from Hall (whom Coomes calls “one of the greatest singers ever”) and fiery horn parts from Bloom.
File Under: Funk
Buy Here
Ramon Morris: Sweet Sister Funk (Pure Pleasure) LP
This gem of an album from Ramon Morris, and one of the hardest to find on Groove Merchant, was recorded during what many people would consider to be the classic period for this particular brand of jazz/funk/soul/fusion. It was recorded not long after he’d spent time with Art Blakey as a Jazz Messenger appearing on his 1972 Prestige album Child’s Dance along with Stanley Clarke and Woody Shaw. He then also recorded on the Woody Shaw album, also from 1972, Song Of Songs. He now teaches at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa. One of the rarest and best albums on Groove Merchant now available re-mastered on 180 gram vinyl. Personnel: Ramon Morris: tenor saxophone/Albert Dailey: electric piano/Mickey Bass: bass/Mickey Roker: drums/Cecil Bridgewater: trumpet/Lloyd Davis: guitar/Tony Waters: congos
File Under: Jazz, Funk
Buy here
Nirvana: Nevermind Super Deluxe BOX (Geffen) 8LP BOX
The September 1991 release of Nirvana’s Nevermind touched off a seismic shift in global youth culture. Rising to No. 1 worldwide over the next few months, its impact would elevate Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl from a promising Pacific Northwest cult band to one of the most successful and influential artists of all time. Nevermind returned rock ‘n’ roll integrity and passion to the top of the charts, and continues to be a singular inspiration to fans and musicians alike over the last three decades – as it no doubt will for generations to come. Commemorating the 30th anniversary of the seminal release, the Nevermind Super Deluxe set contains 8 x 180-gram vinyl LPs showcasing the newly remastered album from the original analog tapes and four concerts on the Nevermind Tour from Amsterdam, Netherlands; Del Mar, California; Melbourne, Australia and Tokyo, Japan. Also included is a first-ever 7-inch for “Endless, Nameless” with B-sides “Even In His Youth” and “Aneurysm,” and a 40-page hardcover book with unreleased photos. Among the exclusive previously unreleased material are the four complete live shows (also newly remastered) that document Nirvana’s historic ascension on the concert stage – Live in Amsterdam, Netherlands (recorded and filmed on November 25, 1991 at the famed club Paradiso); Live in Del Mar, California (recorded on December 28, 1991 at the Pat O’Brien Pavilion at the Del Mar Fairgrounds); Live in Melbourne, Australia for triple j (recorded February 1, 1992 at The Palace in St. Kilda); and Live in Tokyo, Japan (recorded at the Nakano Sunplaza on February 19, 1992).
File Under: Rock
Buy Here
Kelly Lee Owens: LP.8 (Smalltown Supersound) LP
Born out of a series of studio sessions, LP.8 was created with no preconceptions or expectations: an unbridled exploration into the creative subconscious. After releasing her sophomore album Inner Song in the midst of the pandemic, Kelly Lee Owens was faced with the sudden realization that her world tour could no longer go ahead. Keen to make use of this untapped creative energy, she made the spontaneous decision to go to Oslo instead. There was no overarching plan, it was simply a change of scenery and a chance for some undisturbed studio time. It just so happened that her flight from London was the last before borders were closed once again. The blank page project was underway. Arriving to snowglobe conditions and sub-zero temperatures, she began spending time in the studio with esteemed avant-noise artist Lasse Marhaug. Together, they envisioned making music somewhere in between Throbbing Gristle and Enya, artists who have had an enduring impact on Kelly’s creative being. In doing so, they paired tough, industrial sounds with ethereal Celtic mysticism, creating music that ebbs and flows between tension and release. One month later, Kelly called her label to tell them she had created something of an outlier, her ‘eighth album’.
File Under: Electronic
Buy Here
Penguin Café: A Matter of Life… (Erased Tapes) LP
Penguin Cafe are back with a lovingly produced 10th anniversary reissue of their debut album, titled A Matter of Life… 2021. Besides being completely remastered and pressed on vinyl for the very first time, the record also features a brand new 2021 recording of lead single Harry Piers, a song commemorating Arthur Jeffes’ late father and Penguin Cafe Orchestra founder Simon Jeffes.
File Under: Classic
Buy Here
Joey Quinoes: There Must Be Something (Colemine) 7″
Featuring Joey Quinones’s debut Colemine single ‘Love Me Like You Used To,’ this 45 epitomizes the artist. Drowning in lush and soulful tracks, both ‘There Must Be Something’ and ‘Love Me Like You Used To’ bring you into Joey’s world, where he embodies the East LA sweet soul scene. This is Joey’s second 45 in collaboration with Colemine Records, but expect a dynamic, rich, and stacked debut LP from him later this year.
File Under: Funk
Buy Here
Saigon Kick: s/t (Real Gone) LP
The gleefully raucous 1991 self-titled debut from this Miami band covered all the alternative and heavy metal bases, and while it didn’t score a commercial home run, it was still a prodigious clout (kick?) courtesy of guitarist/songwriter Jason Bieler! In between classic metal tunes like “Coming Home” and “Ugly,” Saigon Kick offers everything from grunge-y punk (“What Do You Do,” “Acid Rain”) to power ballads (“Love of God”) to even a couple of quite funny pop songs (the neurotic “My Life” and the homo-erotic “Down by the Ocean”). Since it arrived in the early-’90s “dead zone” for vinyl, Saigon Kick originally came out on LP only in Europe, and original copies go for a pretty penny, er, euro…our release comes in a deep purple vinyl pressing limited to just 2000 copies! Includes lyric sheet/inner sleeve.
File Under: Rock
Buy Here
Nina Simone: An Intimate Variety of Vocal Charm (Bethlehem) LP
Originally released by Bethlehem Records in 1959, ‘Nina Simone and Her Friends’ is a compilation album comprising several unreleased tracks from the ‘Little Girl Blue’ recording session, plus songs recorded by two other former Bethlehem artists, the powerhouse jazz vocalist Carmen McRae and the elegant song stylist Chris Connor.
File Under: Jazz
Buy Here
Charles Tolliver/Music Inc.: Live in Tokyo 1973 (Pure Pleasure) LP
It’s incredible to witness this resurgence of Strata-East’s recordings over the last few years – an appreciation for the label’s ground-breaking approach to music-making, backed by a phenomenal catalogue, continues to attract listeners both new as well as its devoted faithful once again giving rise to its revered and cult-like status. The label’s return to prominence and its subsequent reintroduction to new audiences has been aided, in no small part, by reissues like these – Pure Pleasure as a prime example of a label that lovingly curates these treasured releases, repackaging them for vinyl enthusiasts the world over. There’s certainly a keen eye that goes into the joyous task of plunging through the Strata-East vaults and although Charles Tolliver and Music Inc’s ‘Live in Tokyo 1973’ isn’t as forgotten a treasure as previous Pure Pleasure reissues of projects like Stanley Cowell’s ‘Such Great Friends’ may be, it’s no less of an incredible project to revisit in this way. Recorded 7th December 1973, the fifth album by trumpeter Charles Tolliver and his quartet of musicians comprising Music Inc performed a 50-minute set in Tokyo’s Yubinchokin Hall. The performance was initially released through Strata-East the following year and would even be revisited a further time by Mosaic Records in 2005 as part of a three-disc box set – all of this a true testament to the masters of the craft gracing the stage on this night. Despite the slew of releases with Music Inc, Tolliver boasts an incredible resume that has seen him perform alongside luminaries including Horace Silver, Andrew Hill, Roy Ayers, Gary Bartz amongst others. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, and raised in New York from the age of 10 years old, Tolliver’s inspired contributions to jazz couldn’t be celebrated enough – from his innumerable successes as a musician in his own right to his achievements as co-founder of Strata along with Stanley Cowell. Despite neither having any formal or business training, Tolliver and Cowell’s pioneering efforts positioned them as beacons for being an independent, black-owned success story. With the Music Inc quartet comprised of bassist Clint Houston, drummer Clifford Barbaro and Stanley Cowell on piano, Tolliver and company present a set of five compositions including tracks from the pen of the trumpeter himself (‘Drought’ and ‘Stretch’) as well as a heralded rendition of ‘Round Midnight’ initially composed by Thelonious Monk. Kicking the project off with the exquisite slow build of ‘Drought’ which starts with Tolliver’s trumpet holding court on centre stage while the glorious crescendo builds around him. ‘Stretch’ eschews in another high-energy number before making way to the sublime lament of ‘Truth’. ‘Live in Tokyo 1973’ is certainly a project that has been afforded its due reverence over the years but once again, an exceptional performance from Charles Tolliver and Music Inc benefits from an unrivalled presentation at the hands of Pure Pleasure.
File Under: Jazz
Buy Here
Alan Vega: Saturn Strip (Real Gone) LP
Alan Vega’s work with Suicide is revered by just about every electronic music artist who’s tapped a keyboard or moved a mouse; his snarling, rockabilly-styled vocals teamed with Martin Rev’s ominous, repetitive soundscapes blazed a trail for post-punk, synth pop, industrial rock, techno…the list goes on. Vega’s solo career substantially overlapped with his Suicide recordings; this 1983 release, his first for a major label (Elektra), was his bid for commercial success, enlisting Ric Ocasek of the Cars (who had produced the second Suicide record) to produce and recruiting a young Al Jourgenson (who had just founded Ministry) to play keyboards. Vega even trimmed down his notoriously long songs…however, his art still proved too idiosyncratic for mainstream success. But even if it didn’t result in sales, the relatively accessible sound of Saturn Strip ended up garnering much critical acclaim; this is Vega’s best solo album, highlighted by “Kid Congo,” his tribute to Cramps/Gun Club guitarist Kid Congo Powers, and a cover of the disco hit “Every 1’s a Winner” that sounds like White Light White Heat-era Velvet Underground. First-ever LP reissue, pressed in highlighter yellow vinyl!
File Under: Electronic, Punk
Buy Here
Neil Young: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 1971 (Reprise) LP
During Neil Young’s long and storied career, some of his solo shows have attained mythic status, thanks to the practice of bootlegging. The last stop on the singer/songwriter’s solo tour of Canada and the United States was an acoustic show performed at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion – part of the Los Angeles Music Center. This previously unreleased 15-song set was recorded on February 1, 1971, and features Harvest numbers “Old Man,” “Heart of Gold,” “A Man Needs a Maid,” and “The Needle and the Damage Done,” along with the evergreen classic “Sugar Mountain.” The album cover art has an aged, bootleg vibe, with a stage banter quote across the top: “I’m happy that y’all came down.” This LP is a passport back in time.
File Under: Rock, Folk
Buy Here
Neil Young: Royce Hall 1971 (Reprise) LP
During Neil Young’s long and storied career, some of his concerts have gained mythic status, thanks to the practice of bootlegging. Recorded on January 30, 1971, this previously unreleased concert was performed at gorgeous Royce Hall on the campus of UCLA in Los Angeles, near the end of the singer/songwriter’s 1971 solo tour. Young played 16 solo acoustic numbers that night, accompanying himself on guitar and harmonica. The track list features beloved classics like “Old Man,” “Heart of Gold,” “Ohio,” “Cowgirl in the Sand,” “Don’t Let it Bring You Down” and “Down by the River,” plus the timeless version of “The Needle and the Damage Done” that appears on 1972’s Harvest, one of the greatest albums of all time.
File Under: Rock, Folk
Buy Here
Various: If Music presents: You Need This! An Introduction To Enja Records (BBE) LP
Part of IF Music founder Jean-Claude’s ever expanding ‘YOU NEED THIS!’ series of compilation albums, the London record shop impresario and DJ takes us on another scintillating musical journey, this time exploring the catalogue of German jazz imprint, Enja Records. Like Jean-Claude’s ‘Journey Into Deep Jazz’ series on BBE Music and his 2017 exploration of Black Saint & Soul Note Records before it, ‘IF MUSIC PRESENTS YOU NEED THIS!: AN INTRODUCTION TO ENJA RECORDS’ provides another impeccably curated and programmed selection of music, assembled by simply one of the most knowledgable and passionate vinyl specialists in the business. Featuring performances by John Stubblefield, Bobby Hutcherson, Harold Land, Don Cherry, Cecil McBee and Pharoah Sanders collaborator Marvin Hannibal Peterson to name but a few, this collection provides a great jumping-off point for Enja’s rich and diverse back catalogue. Founded in 1971 by Munich natives and jazz obsessives Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber, in its heyday Enja released albums by Eric Dolphy, Charles Mingus, Tommy Flanagan and John Scofield, as well as Kenny Barron, Chet Baker, Abbey Lincoln, Bea Benjamin, Freddie Hubbard, to name but a few. Having firmly established itself as “a bastion of all things deep in jazz” as Jean-Claude neatly sums up, Enja also went on to issue early World Music projects from Abdullah Ibrahim, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Mahmoud Turkmani and many others, and it remains active to this day. “There is no doubt that to the uninitiated, a compilation introducing such an esteemed archive is well overdue” says Jean-Claude. “As with previous albums curated by us, this is just a soupçon of this label’s vast back catalogue, which we hope will lead the listener to discover new music and to search out more from this criminally underrated, class act.”
File Under: Jazz
Buy Here
…..restocks…..
Aphex Twin: I Care Because You Do (Warp) LP
Chet Baker w/ Bobby Jaspar: In Paris Vol. 3 (Sam) LP
Bedhead: WhatFunLifeWas (Numero) LP
Belle & Sebastian: Boy With the Arab Strap (Jeepster) LP
Belle & Sebastian: If You’re Feeling Sinister (Jeepster) LP
Belle & Sebastian: Tigermilk (Jeepster) LP
Big Black: Songs About Fucking (Touch & Go) LP
Bon Iver: 22, A Million (Secretly Canadian) LP
Budos Band: V (Daptone) LP
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: The Boatman’s Call (Mute) LP
Clash: Combat Rock + People’s Hall (Epic) 3LP
Clash: London Calling (Epic) LP
Sam Cooke: Night Beat (Music on Vinyl) LP
Dead Kennedys: Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables (Cherry Red) LP
Mac Demarco: Rock And Roll Night Club (Captured Tracks) LP
Duster: Stratosphere (Numero) LP
Billie Eilish: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (Interscope) LP
El Michel’s Affair: Adult Themes (Big Crown) LP
FACS: Present Tense (Trouble In Mind) LP
Ronnie Foster: Two Headed Freap (Blue Note) LP
Funkadelic: Maggot Brain (Westbound) LP
Mort Garson: Mother Earth’s Plantasia (Sacred Bones) LP
Aldous Harding: s/t (Flying Nun) LP
Lightnin’ Hopkins: Lightnin’ In New York (Candid) LP
HTRK: Venus In Leo (Ghostly) LP
Ikebe Shakedown: Kings Left Behind (Colemine) LP
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit: Georgia Blue (Southeastern) LP
J Dilla: Donuts (Stones Throw) LP
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings: Give the People What They Want (Daptone) LP
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: Demos 1 & 2 (Gizz Picks) LP
Lemonheads: It’s A Shame About Ray (Fire) LP
John Lewis & Sacha Distel: Afternoon In Paris (Sam) LP
Brother Jack McDuff: Moon Rappin’ (Blue Note) LP
The National: Boxer (Beggars) LP
The National: Sleep Well Beast (4AD) LP
Paysage d’Hiver: Die Festung (Kunsthall) LP
Popol Vuh: Essential Album Collection Vol. 1 (BMG) BOX
Popol Vuh: Vol. 2 – Acoustic & Ambient Spheres (BMG) BOX
Radiohead: In Rainbows (XL) LP
Nala Sinephro: Space 1.8 (Warp) LP
Dusty Springfield: Complete Atlantic Singles (Real Gone) LP
Springtime: s/t (Joyful Noise) LP
Taylor Swift: Folklore (Republic) LP
Tyler, The Creator: Call Me If You Get Lost (Columbia) LP
Venom: Welcome to Hell (BMG) LP
Tom Waits: Nighthawks at the Diner (Anti) LP
Warpaint: Radiate Like This (Virgin) LP